What it means
Status quo refers to the existing state of affairs. In a legal dispute, preserving the status quo means keeping things as they are until a court can properly decide the issue. Australian courts often grant interim or interlocutory orders, such as injunctions, specifically to maintain the status quo and prevent one party from gaining an unfair advantage or causing irreversible harm before the matter is heard.
How it's used
The judge granted an injunction to preserve the status quo until the ownership dispute could be fully heard.